Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies to Human Tristetraprolin (TTP)

TTP has been implicated in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases through its role as a regulator of the transcripts encoding several pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha. However, it has been difficult to study endogenous TTP in man and other animals because it is expressed at very low levels in most cells and tissues, and because of the lack of mouse monoclonal antibodies directed at the human protein.

Scientists at the NIH have developed three mouse monoclonal antibodies (TTP-16, TTP-214 and TTP-409) that react to different regions of the human TTP to allow for the identification and localization of the TTP protein by standard protocols. Although validation has only been conducted at the level of western blotting to date, they do not appear to cross-react with other human members of the TTP protein family.